If you were anywhere near the Love Island USA fandom during Season 7, you know the vibe. You know the tension. And you definitely know the moment in Soul Ties that basically set the internet on fire. People were literally screaming at their TVs.
Honestly, the Nicolandria soul ties kiss wasn't just a regular reality show make-out. It was the culmination of weeks of "will they, won't they" energy that had fans making TikTok edits before the two even had a real conversation. But the reactions? They were all over the place. Some people saw pure passion, while others were convinced it was a calculated move to stay in the villa.
What Actually Went Down in Soul Ties?
Let's set the scene because context is everything here. Nic Vansteenberghe and Olandria Carthen—affectionately dubbed "Nicolandria" by the hive—had been circling each other since literally Day 1. Nic had even picked her in the blindfold challenge way back at the start. But then, life (and other Islanders) happened. Olandria was locked in with Taylor Williams, and Nic was tangled up with Cierra Ortega.
Then came Episode 21.
They finally found themselves alone in the Soul Ties area. If you’ve watched the show, you know Soul Ties is where the realest—and messiest—conversations happen. Nic pulled her in, and it wasn't a "testing the waters" kind of peck. It was a full-on, breathless, "I’ve wanted to do this for three weeks" kind of moment.
Nic actually looked dazed afterward. Fans on Reddit were joking that he looked "drunk in love" or just straight-up high on adrenaline. Olandria later admitted in an interview with Elite Daily that she had already kissed the man 20 times in challenges, so she "already knew the drill," but this one felt different. It felt natural.
The "Friendship Island" Backlash
Of course, not everyone was buying it. The morning after this massive, steamy kiss, what did they do? They sat down and basically agreed to be friends.
The whiplash was real.
Twitter (X) went into a tailspin. "Why would you kiss like that and then say there's no spark?" was the general consensus. People were calling them strategic. Some viewers thought they were just "playing Friendship Island" to secure the $100,000 prize. It felt like a betrayal to the shippers who had been rooting for them since the first episode.
But looking back, the reality was a lot more complicated. Olandria was still dealing with her feelings for Taylor, and Nic was trying to be respectful of Cierra, who was actually Olandria's close friend. They weren't lying about the spark; they were just terrified of the fallout.
Why the Nicolandria Soul Ties Kiss Hit Different
There’s a specific reason this moment stuck with people more than the usual villa hookups. It was the yearning.
In a season that many fans felt was "strategic beyond belief," Nicolandria felt like a slow burn that the producers didn't even see coming. While other couples were forcing connections for the cameras, Nic and Olandria were trying to suppress theirs.
- The Physicality: Fans pointed out the small details—the way Nic’s face turned "beet red" before he leaned in, or the way Olandria collapsed into his chest afterward.
- The Guilt: Olandria later confessed she shut things down initially because of "the guilt of feeling like she was doing something wrong."
- The Growth: We saw a different side of Nic with Olandria. With other girls, he was a flirt. With her, he was visibly nervous.
Post-Villa Reactions: The "Nicolandria Hive" Is Vindicated
Fast forward to the finale and the post-show interviews, and the "Nicolandria Hive" finally got their "I told you so" moment. After being runners-up, the couple sat down with everyone from E! News to Access Hollywood to explain themselves.
They finally admitted what we all saw: the "let's just be friends" talk was a defense mechanism. They were protecting themselves and the people they were coupled with at the time. Nic told Elite Daily that looking back at the video, it’s "hard to deny there wasn’t some sort of connection."
The fans who stuck by them—the ones who saw the "Bridgerton-coded" hand kisses and the way Nic looked at her—felt completely validated. They weren't deluded; the chemistry was just caught in a mess of villa politics.
What We Can Learn From the Nicolandria Saga
If you’re following their journey now, there are a few things to keep in mind about how these two navigate the spotlight. They’ve been very clear about one thing: they aren't rushing to put a label on it just to please the fans.
- Respect the Pace: Even though they’re doing "boyfriend and girlfriend things," they’re taking it slow. They’ve visited family in Alabama and Florida and even did the mandatory Disneyland trip.
- Filter the Noise: Olandria has mentioned that Nic sometimes takes her phone away when the social media hate gets too loud. That’s a real-world soul tie right there.
- Authenticity over Aesthetics: They aren't trying to be the "perfect" couple. They’re goofy, they’re messy, and they’re figuring out if their "Fiji bubble" romance works in the real world.
The Nicolandria soul ties kiss remains a top-tier moment in Love Island history because it was a rare flash of genuine, inconvenient attraction in a world of curated reality TV. Whether they stay together for ten years or ten months, that moment in Soul Ties was the real deal.
To keep up with their latest updates, you should follow their individual Instagram accounts rather than just relying on fan pages, as they often post behind-the-scenes content from their travels that doesn't always make it to the "official" updates.